Following the success of "After Sun" earlier this year, Snarky Puppy co founder and double Grammy Award winner Bill Laurance continues, along with other members of the Brooklyn based fusion band, to provide us with telling examples of what they can all do as leaders in their own right. Of all the many members of the band's pool of musicians he perhaps is the nearest in style to the center ground, taking his musical influences from the likes of McCoy Tyner, John Coltrane and Joe Zawinul to name just three. For this eighty minute plus CD set, with accompanying DVD, he has chosen the unique atmosphere and Gothic architecture of Islington's Union Chapel, a venue that is fast being recognised as one of the most iconic in the capital.

Before a wildly enthusiastic audience the charismatic leader began with the a spacious and sophisticated version of "The Rush" blending his own unique piano style with the multitude of keyboards at his disposal. The throbbing bass of Snarky Puppy guru Michael League, with the full on and highly inventive drumming of his long term compatriot Robert "The Spud" Searight are so fundamental to the overall sound of this music, and so it proved on "Never Ending City with both rising above the largely orchestral mix. The leader is such a master of the acoustic instrument that, just sometimes you wish that he would leave the electronica alone for a number, or at least for a few bars. However this need is unlikely to be realised bearing in mind the astonishing success of the groups under his leadership. The unusual inclusion of French Horn in this style of music, came very much to the fore in the highly descriptive "December In New York" rising above the string trio with an aural atmosphere of high rise real estate and the calm of Central Park easily brought to mind.

The overall sound of the band is an optimistic one and presented itself on "Full Flight" and "The Real One" with multiple keyboard excursions bringing the first set of a sold out Union Chapel to a close. As CD and set two get under way we are soon treated to the superb acoustic melodies of "Swift" and the lush "Gold Coast" where the return of French Horn and strings, elevate this to an album highlight. "Denmark Hill", highly popular for the location, is a bluesy and restrained outing, before "Swag Times", with audience hand clapping encouraged at the outset becomes almost ethereal and space like with a fine contribution from the drum chair. The equally atmospheric "Fjords" with a beautifully constructed theme and restrained keys is announced as the final number , but in common with nearly all performances is only the forerunner to the inevitable encore. Unusually this post applause piece, "Ready Wednesday" turns out to be the longest at over thirteen minutes. You could hear the proverbial pin drop during the studied opening piano solo as it built layer upon layer of tension resolved only by the reintroduction of the electronics and driving percussion hurtling the gathered masses almost to fever pitch, bringing to a finale an exhausting but highly engaging performance by some of the most popular crossover artists on today's worldwide music scene.

Reviewed by Jim Burlong​

ECM celebrates 50 years of music production with the Touchstones series of re-issues